Dungannon Swifts boss Rodney McAree insists there is no pressure on new signing Daniel Hughes - despite the team's chronic lack of goals.

The 25-year-old striker has been drafted in from Cliftonville in a bid to get the Swifts firing again.

Dungannon have scored just once in their last eight league games. Yet McAree is determined that Hughes - a proven goalscorer - will not find himself burdened by the weight of expectation at Stangmore Park.

"I don't think there is too much pressure on Daniel," he said.

"He just has to do what he has done for most of his career - get into scoring positions, and I know the goals will come.

"It's more about taking the pressure off of others in the team.

"There has been an expectation on certain other players in recent weeks that they will score the goals, and the arrival of Daniel might just ease the burden."

McAree expects Hughes to go right into the squad for this weekend's game with Ards, but is realistic about expecting too much too soon.

He added: "Daniel will score goals - it mightn't necessarily happen on Saturday, he might need a week or two.

"But he will be a big player for us and I'm convinced he will do very well.

"By bringing in Daniel we are signing someone with a proven track record of scoring goals, and we are freeing up others to play in what they maybe feel is their more natural position."

Hughes, a former Warrenpoint player, signed for Cliftonville in December 2015, but had struggled for game time at Solitude.

He has signed a deal until the end of the 2019-20 season with Dungannon.

Hughes hopes the move can kick-start his career, adding: "A big attraction for me was the way Rodney (McAree) sets up his team and how they want to play.

"Another main factor for making the move was to get game time. I wasn't getting enough of that at Cliftonville and Rodney offered me the opportunity to get a lot more game time."